Studio Roșia Montană: A Dutch Approach

COLOFON Europa Nostra Stefan Bâlici TUTORS Sander Lap, landscape architect LapLab Lada Hršak, architect Bureau LADA Marieke Berkers, architectural historian Maike van Stiphout, head of Department of Landscape Architecture STUDENTS Ziega van den Berk Stein van Brunschot Martijn Rouwet Natalia Sulkowska Jordy van der Veen Floor van Wulfften Palthe Koen Vermeulen

landscape architecture landscape architecture architecture architecture architecture landscape architecture urbanism

PUBLICATION Stein van Brunschot

This publication has been created with support of: Europanostra Academy of Architecture Amsterdam

Roșia Montană DESIGN STUDIO

A Dutch approach

Content Introduction

4

Roșia Montană, the era after hammer and chisel

6

3 x R, restoration, renovation, rendition

Natalia Sulkowska

12

The new Palace of the Prince

Jordy van der Veen

20

Resilient Ruralism, restoring the community of Roșia Montană

26

In Situ - In Terra

Ziega van den Berk

34

The Heritage Trail

Floor van Wulfften Palthe

40

The Ghost Dam Reconstructing the impact of mining on the landscape of Roșia Montană

Martijn Rouwet

44

Roșia Montană watersystem reclaimed, redevelopment of the original Roșia Montană water system

Stein van Brunschot

56

Marieke Berkers

Koen Vermeulen

Roșia Montană DESIGN STUDIO A Dutch approach

The project Roșia Montană of the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture is carried out in collaboration with Europa Nostra and the Romanian organisation ‘Architecture. Restoration. Archaeology’ (ARA).

Europa Nostra put Roșia Montană on the list of the seven most endangered landscapes of Europe. This was an indication that the preservation of the gold mining area is of great importance for Europe. The placing on the list helped the local NGO’s in their fight against the intended large-scale mine. What can a student contribute in the discussion on the preservation of an important cultural and historical gold mining region in Romania?

This booklet contains the projects of seven students from the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam. The team consists of architecture, landscape architecture and urbanism students. They visited Roșia Montană with a member of ARA, Stefan Bâliçi, and stayed with the locals. They designed a new future for the gold mine area.

The students delivered two bold and visual interventions, two architectural interventions and three concepts for a new regional development. The first projects ask immediate attention for hidden qualities, a network of galleries under the hills and the small-scale historical landscape on top of it. The projects with the regional strategies open up the local landscape qualities for the urban public. They focus on the attractiveness of the area for rural, ecological and historical tourism. The renovation, restoration and reinterpretation of local architecture, can strengthen the character on all three fields.

The projects are a creative input for ARA, dedicated to the preservation of the heritage landscape. They show another Roșia Montană, a region that thanks to the gold mining history and the rich biodiversity does have opportunities to develop towards an interesting future for Europe. And the projects can inspire the remaining residents who have to design their own future.

While the students worked on their projects, the government of Romania changed for the better. The current interim government put Roșia Montană on the tentative list of UNESCO. For those who resisted the large-scale mining initiative a new era might begin.

Maike van Stiphout head of Department of Landscape Architecture Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

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Studio questions: • Is it possible to embark upon an ecological exploitation of the gold resources - without the proposed opencast mining method with the use of cyanide - but with another type of new technology in order to continue the process of traditional, slow development of the landscape of the valley?

• What are the chances of cultural tourism for the development of a sustainable Roșia Montană from a spatial and economic point of view?

• Roșia Montană is a living landscape: How can the cultural heritage – architecture and landscape – been preserved without freezing opportunities for spatial development?

• The region has a very active population. Nevertheless, lots of people with an agricultural and mining background are in need of extra income. How can spatial development processes profit from the active community and how can the community profit from spatial development processes?

Studio themes: • Historical topography of the site the landscape in its historical depth, traces and layers.

• Reactivating lost layers.

• Ecological specificity and value of the site, deriving first from the mining character and the post-mining transformations.

• Traditional farming and land-use, functional connection between land-use and ecology.

• Spatial aspects of fair trade gold.

• Mental and spatia revitalisation of impoverished and partly abandoned mining area.

• Living on the mountain of gold, social and economical implications.

• Balance / transitions between cultural heritage / mining and tourist / recreational / farming and artisanal landscapes.

• Timeline issues: short, mid and long term implications of the proposed transitions.

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Roșia Montană, the era after hammer and chisel Reflection on the literature research, parallel to the project

By Marieke Berkers

The hammer and the chisel have been of great historic importance for Roșia Montană. For centuries, these tools supported people in their gold digging activities in the pits of the settlements in Romania. It is not surprising that during our field trip in Roșia Montană we ended up with a hammer and chisel in our hands. During a visit to a local miner - sipping home-made spirits in his backyard and listening to heroic mining stories - the hammer and chisel were put on the table. ‘Lets go and dig some gold right now,’ the man suggested. He put the tools on his shoulder and started marching towards the pit. A bit abashed we followed. Could it be possible to dig gold yourself? Indeed!

The hammer and chisel passed from hand to hand; all the students and their tutors wanted to dig some gold themselves.

A glimpse of the splinters of gold in the grey stone, hold firmly in ones hand, made each of us gold-feverish immediately. This was the moment when the narratives we were starting to form about Roșia Montană gained weight. The fusion of space, action and time made us feel the essence of the place: the gold digging history, the invisible heritage, stone and gold, hammers and chisels, pits, abandoned houses, churches with sonorous organs and heroic stories of men living the miner’s live. The rich blend of cognitive knowledge and sensory experiences helped defining possible perspectives for Roșia Montană to research.

Back in the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam the process of defining the right research questions and setting up a relevant research in a systematic and analytical way took place.

All students defined problems in connection with their P5 project. Outcomes of the O5 paper supported the motivation of design choices and/or choices of position a designer can take in cases like Roșia Montană. The students all together produced about 15.000 brilliant words about themes concerning Roșia Montană. In the next paragraphs their O5 paper researches will be presented in resumé. I used a “hamer and chisel” and tried to dig for the most valuable parts of their papers to share with the readers of this booklet The presentation will be closed by some final remarks about the diversity and/or similarities of all projects.

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Field trip Roșia Montană, Stein van Brunschot

In Situ ~ Ziega van den Berk focussed on the invisible character of the heritage of Roșia Montană. The heritage consists of a huge structure of ways and tunnels created for the process of mining with a total length of 150 kilometers and a depth of max. 300 meters. This mining structure is hidden for the eye, as it is encapsulated by mountains and ground. While visiting Roșia Montană Van den Berk realized that this mining structure is very unique. It tells the story about mining through the ages. She also became aware that destruction of this unique system would take place as soon as the Gold Corporation would start mining.

High time to stress the value of the heritage!

Van den Berk choose to do so in her P5 project, by making the heritage and its scale visible. In her O5 research she found the motivation for making this choice. She found some compelling arguments for making the heritage visible: It would help to stimulate people to finance and do more research about the (tangible) mining heritage. Further, bringing the underground city above the ground could function as a weapon in the struggle against the mining ambitions of the Gold Corporation. Making the heritage visible would also make villagers more aware about the treasure that’s literally situated in the ground beneath their feet.

In Situ - In Terra, Ziega van den Berk

Mental Landscapes ~ Stein van Brunschot put on the agenda the value of a balanced relationship between men and landscape. He introduced a relevant aspect of landscapes: besides them being spatial they are mental as well. Inspired by Jan Kolen and Ton Lemaire he explains the mental landscape to be ‘an important spatial prerequisite for our notions of cultural identity’[1]. Van Brunschot focusses in his research on energy landscapes; landscapes that became isolated from a mental experience as energy production and transport happens hidden for the eye. ‘The human landscape relationship becomes separated more and more, the awareness shrinks,[2]’ Van Brunschot explains.

But the future is promising as small scale energy landscapes - like the one Van Brunschot presented in his P5 project - become mental again. Production and transport can be organized in the landscape locally, in a visible way. An important step in the process of creating willingness by people to cooperate in transforming energy landscapes. The P5 project serves as a good example of how cultural heritage, a balanced human-landscape energy system, can be the base for redevelopment.

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The new definition of heritage ~ In the process towards a possible Unesco nomination Natalia Sułkowska questioned the way such a nomination is carried out. It bothers her that local people, who live and work in or around the heritage, do not have a significant role in the process of nomination. Sułkowska explains step-by-step how this process takes place. It turns out the be a very careful, though bureaucratic procedure. ‘What they do not include is the knowledge and emotions of ordinary people: overall impressions, esthetic feelings as well as sense of place, identity and memory,’[3] Sułkowska states. In her paper she motivates why involving locals and their knowledge is important: Locals have specific knowledge of heritage, experts don’t know about or can’t recognize.

Further, involving local people in valuing heritage makes them also more involved in maintaining their local heritage.

Moreover, by involving locals, chances diminish that economic and political aspects are involved into the process which may lead to corruption and commercialization of heritage. In her P5 project Sułkowska shows great interest in the user of architecture. This design perspective makes Sułkowska a great ambassador in pleading for a more localincluded Unesco nomination process.

Design as an argument ~ After the field trip Maurijn Rouwet started questioning his role and position as a designer in a polemic context as Roșia Montană. In his research he found answers to this question by studying literature about the theme of design as an argument and reference projects of designers using design as an argument.

Rouwet adopted two lessons-learned in defining his own position while designing his P5 project: 1) ‘Raising public awareness on a delicate subject can be done through a clever visual strategy, without becoming explicitly involved’[4].

2) ‘The architect has the potential to communicate intricate spatial, cultural and technological relations so that it becomes tangible for large audience’[5]. Rouwet concludes his “position-paper” with: ‘My intervention for Roșia Montană is not an attempt to directly resolve the situation with a planning strategy or architectonic intervention.

Instead, the intervention provides a spatial argument that has the potential to influence the current status quo of the Roșia Montană mining plan’[6]. Rouwet shows that taking position and making design choices is a mutual process.

the Gost Dam, Maurijn Rouwet

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The new Palace of the Prince, Jordy van der Veen

The value of craftsmanship ~ Just like Sułkowska Jordy van der Veen focussed on the power of local knowledge, by questioning the value of craftsmanship. Van der Veen starts his research by observing very carefully techniques and crafts of Roșia Montană. ‘These smart building techniques, the care for the materials and the attention to detail show the value the people had for their houses as well as the love for their labour,’[7] he says.

Further, Van der Veen motivates why craftsmanship is of value. He stresses the influence of craftsmanship on the atmosphere and spatial quality of buildings and spaces, but also the economic value. Working with locally found materials saves transport costs and prevents pollution caused by transport. Craftsmanship also gives people the opportunity to work with traditional methods in their own village: it creates jobs and stimulates education. In his P5 project Van der Veen illustrates how the architect can play a role in this process by stimulating craftsmanship in presenting design-proposals integrating the crafts and techniques of Roșia Montană.

Resilient Ruralism ~ Koen Vermeulen researched the conditions that are needed to establish an anti-fragile - a long-term resilient and diverse - economy in Roșia Montană. He starts his paper with putting the issue of aging on the agenda: ‘Today, the village continues to exist, but 70% of the remaining farmers are fifty-five years and older. Aging is becoming a big threat for Roșia Montană which cannot be solved only with design’[8]. Vermeulen pleads to look beyond the boundaries of design. Inspired by the grande dame of planning and urbanism, Jane Jacobs, he states that one should focus on the process of design instead of the product. He also stresses the importance of the experiment.

‘An anti-fragile institution is not only unharmed by adverse events, but is actually strengthened by them,’ he says, using the knowledge of scientist and author Nassim Taleb[9]. In his P5 project Vermeulen presents a proposal of a design process that could help Roșia Montană develop into a resilient rural settlement. His research helped him motivate the choice of presenting a process-based solution instead of a masterplan.

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Looking at the results of the O5 Paper some things stand out: Out of the box ~ Not being a stakeholder in the polemic situation in Roșia Montană allowed the students to think open-minded and out of the box. Some solutions or suggestions presented by the students might sound quite bold for stakeholders or locals. For example making the heritage visible, or making the the scale of a proposed dam visible. Researching and motivating daring solutions for the future of Roșia Montană might be a role for the outsider.

That can work as a breath of fresh air and offer new perspectives in a discussion that became impregnable as many stakeholders concentrate in confirming their positions instead of searching for a compromise or way to open discussions again.

Taking position ~ Because the situation in Roșia Montană is polemic students were forced to take position.

They had to choose their starting point of research: will mining be an important factor for Roșia Montană in the future or not? The field trip made the students aware of the richness of the heritage. Almost all students choose to work with a future narrative in which the Gold Corporation would leave the site. Only Rouwet did not explicitly take position, as he chose to use his design as a conversation piece in the discussion of the future of Roșia Montană.

Multidisciplinaire perspectives ~ The case of Roșia Montană is very complex. Problems from multidisciplinaire fields highly interfere with each other. This forced the students to look beyond the boundaries of their own discipline of design. Vermeulen for example focussed on the interaction between urban planning and economy, Rouwet focussed on politics, without becoming explicitly involved. Sułkowska has been critical about the power of the heritage industry - particularly Unesco. She shows great understanding that these processes have a big influence on the field of design. In all projects the question arose how design could serve as a tool for practicing politics, reforming economy or dealing with heritage. The results of research proves the value of research-based design in complex assignments like Roșia Montană.

The power of the local ~ The human scale was taken as a target of research by most students. They focussed on local economy instead of global economy, craftsmanship instead of technological innovation, local knowledge instead of global regulations, small scale energy landscapes instead of global fossil energy systems. Researches of most of the students - Vermeulen, Van den Berk, Van Brunschot and Van der Veen - were focussed on making existing values visible. It shows a strong belief of the students in local qualities and power.

Performing artist Marina Abramovic once said: ‘The function of the artist in a disturbed society is to give awareness of the universe, to ask the right questions, and to elevate the mind.’[10] I believe the students succeeded in doing so.

The outcomes of O5 paper can be of great use for people aiming to transform the future of Roșia Montană in a resilient way. Because of the multidisciplinary approach results can also be of interest for people working beyond the field of spatial design and planning: politicians, activists, a local farmer who wants to turn into a energy producer, the local miner who has great knowledge of the heritage. And with the nomination of Roșia Montană for the Unesco heritage list these researches become even more relevant. As well as the hamer and chisel. Now the future of mining in the Apuseni Mountains of Romania might be leisure, miners might be tour guides for a nosy bunch of people from abroad.

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Bibliography

• Ziega van den Berk, In Situ, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015.

• Stein van Brunschot, Energy and landscape, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015.

• “The artist was here. Marina Abramovic on the aches and pains of performance”, in: The Economist, Sept. 15, 2010. http://www.economist. com/node/17036088 • Jan Kolen and Ton Lemaire, Landschap in meervoud, perspectieven op het Nederlandse landschap in de 20ste/21ste eeuw, Utrecht, 1999.

• Maurijn Rouwet, Design as an argument. The role of spatial practice in the context of the Roșia Montană mining plan, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015.

• Natalia Sułkowska, The new definition of heritage. Local People’s knowledge as an addition to world heritage list. Case-study of Roșia Montană, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015.

• Nassim Taleb, Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder, New York, 2012, p.72.

• Jordy van der Veen, Craftmanschip. What is the value of architectural craftsmanship for a village like Roșia Montană and its community?, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015.

• Koen Vermeulen, Resilient Ruralism, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015.

NOTES [1] Jan Kolen and Ton Lemaire, Landschap in meervoud, perspectieven op het Nederlandse landschap in de 20ste/21ste eeuw, Utrecht, 1999.

[2] Stein van Brunschot, Energy and landscape, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amstm, 2015, p.7.

[3] Natalia Sułkowska, The new definition of heritage. Local People’s knowledge as an addition to world heritage list. Case-study of Roșia Montană, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015, p.9.

[4] A lesson he learned from studying the project Lima 2427, by artist Lima Bustamante. Maurijn Rouwet, Design as an argument. The role of spatial practice in the context of the Roșia Montană mining plan, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015, p.12 and 16.

[5] A lesson he learned from studying project Unknown Fields Division, from a “nomadic” design research studio initiated by Liam Young and Kate Davies. Maurijn Rouwet, Design as an argument. The role of spatial practice in the context of the Roșia Montană mining plan, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015, p.16 and 20.

[6] Idem, p.22.

[7] Jordy van der Veen, Craftmanschip. What is the value of architectural craftsmanship for a village like Roșia Montană and its community?, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015, p.5.

[8] Koen Vermeulen, Resilient Ruralism, Paper O5, Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, 2015, p.2. Vermeulen was inspired by: Jane Jacobs, Dark age ahead, New York, 2004.

[9] Ibidem. Vermeulen refers to: Nassim Taleb, Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder, New York, 2012, p.72.

[10] “The artist was here. Marina Abramovic on the aches and pains of performance”, in: The Economist, Sept. 15, 2010. http://www. economist.com/node/17036088

3X R, Natalia Sulkowska

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3xR

restoration, renovation, rendition Rosia Montana is one of Transylvanian villages located in the valley of Carpathian mountains. Probably you can find more of this type of villages it in the area, but there is one thing what makes Roșia Montană special- gold. The Gold Corporation resettled people in order to make space for mining. At the moment 80% of the plots are sold. But thanks to 20% of population the mining is on hold and everybody believes that it will never happen and the heritage will be kept. What’s next? How to bring Roșia Montană back to life and make it even better?

STRATEGY AS AN ANSWER The first step to make Roșia Montană a sustainable and self-efficient oasis in the Carpathian is to bring people back to the village. The village should be accessible for everybody to continue the Romanian tradition of developing country by taking influences from local and foreign cultures. It offers Roșia Montană the possibility to gain innovation and keep tradition. Therefore there’s a need for good quality and special houses. The idea of my project is to make a strategy for the houses of Roșia Montană.

IDEA I believe the strategy to design show houses will make people more interested in Roșia Montană and it will give Rosia Montana a new life CONCEPT 3xR restoration, renovation and rendition Walking through the village you can immediately see, that houses are in different conditions and of diverse sizes. This observation is my starting point for the design. I have chosen 3 categories of conditions and one intervention for each of them: good quality houses- restoration, fine quality houses- renovation, bad quality houses- rendition for 3 people: foreign person, Romanian family and local elderly person.

Natalia Sulkowska architecture

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house no.1248

house no.251

house no.288

LEGENDA monuments public buildings good condition houses fine condition houses bad condition houses

HOUSE NO.1248

location the CONDITION dwellings HOUSE IN of GOOD

FOR LOCAL AS EVERY DAY HOUSE SIZE SMALL

HOUSE NO.251

HOUSE NO.288

HOUSE IN FINE CONDITION FOR ROMANIAN AS WEEKEND HOUSE SIZE LARGE

HOUSE IN BAD CONDITION FOR FOREIGN AS HOLIDAY HOUSE SIZE MEDIUM

SLOVAKIA UKRAINE

Botosani

HUNGARY Satu

Maramures

Mare

Suceava

MOLDOVA

SLOVAKIA UKRAINE

BistritaBotosani

HUNGARY Satu

Suceava

Iasi

Nasaud

Salaj

Maramures

Mare

MOLDOVA BistritaIasi

Nasaud

Salaj Bihor

Bihor

Neamt

Neamt

Cluj Mures

Vaslui Harghita

Bacau

Arad Alba

UKRAINE Sibiu Brasov

Timis

Covasna

Hunedoara

Vrancea

Cluj

Galati

Buzau Caras-Severin

Vilcea Prahova

Arges

Mures

Tulcea

Braila

Gorj Dimbovita Dimbovita

Vaslui

Ialomita Bucharest

Harghita

Mehedinti Calarasi Doli

Olt Giurgiu Teleorman

Alba

BULGARIA

character of the potential inhabitant Sibiu

Timis

WEEKEND HOUSE

Bacau

Constanta

Arad

SERBIA

Brasov Hunedoara

MAIN HOUSE TO LIVE IN

Covasna

Vrancea

UKRAINE Galati

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roof to smoke meat no insulation storage new roof insulation new tiled bathroom 20x20mm tiles old stove kitchen

excisting wooden wall

wall insulation -hemp concrete floor heating

service water tank for sustainable reuse

0.5

1.1

1.2

-1.0 0.3

0.2

0.4

0.1

basement

ground floor

first floor

BASEMENT - 192 m2 -1.0 room with water tank place to make alcohol GROUND FLOOR 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

veranda kitchen and dining bedroom storage bathroom living room cabin bathroom cabin

0.7

1.3

0.6

FIRST FLOOR 1.1 1.2 1.3

place to smoke meet storage bedroom cabin elements added to excisting house

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PLANS 1/50

HOUSE IN GOOD CONDITION FOR LOCAL AS EVERY DAY HOUSE- SMALL The house in good shape does not need a big design intervention. A huge amount of houses in the village do not have running water. The design is made for a elderly local person, who is not open for big changes and wants to live a traditional live but in a better quality house.

The proposal for that house is to keep it totally original and make invisible interventions to improve the comfort: new bathroom, sustainable installations and insulation. As an extra room for visitors the new cabin will be added in the garden - a traditional way of extending a building in the village.

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roof insulated from the outside new roof tiles

reuse of space guest bedroom

new wooden floor 150mm

excisting structure

storage and warderobe

wooden spiral staircase

excisting roof structure

working room playroom for children

new closed veranda kitchen

fireplace

glass panel family bathroom tiles 20x20

wooden frame 50x50mm

dacia logan

playroom for adults

0.6

0.4

0.5 1.2

1.3

0.3

2.1 1.4

0.1

0.2

1.1

ground floor

BASEMENT -1.0 party room storage GROUND FLOOR

first floor

16

HOUSE IN FINE CONDITION FOR ROMANIAN AS WEEKEND HOUSE- LARGE The house in fine condition need some reparations, what means that there is possibility of bigger changes.

The design is made for Romanian family, who needs a house for weekends to escape from the city to nature, respects Romanian tradition but is in need of innovation. The proposal for the house is to clean up the interior, open up the facade if neccssary and make use of the huge roof space which is at the moment closed and useless.

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wooden frame structure 250x250mm beams and columns

material of the roof: golfplaat

glass window overlooking stars

storage

fireplace

bathroom

wardrobe

indoor swimmingpool -reuse of basemnet

storage and installation space

entrance through the basement original stone base

0.5

-1.1

-1.2

-1.1 entrance staircase -1.2 indoor pool -1.3 storage

0.8

0.1

0.7

0.4

0.2

1.1

-1.3

basement

BASEMENT

0.6

0.3

18

ground floor

first floor

PLANS 1/50

HOUSE IN BAD CONDITION FOR FOREIGN AS HOLIDAY HOUSEMEDIUM The house in bad condition is very dangerous to live in. Copying it exactly the same and rebuild it from the beginning does not make sense. It will loose its atmosphere - it will be never the same. This house will be made for the foreign people, who love the landscape of the mountains and quiet places. My proposal is to make a totally new typology but in the spirit of the local architecture: material, craftsmanship and typical building elements. It is easy to make and apply to many places. As a starting point I decided to use existing stone base- it is strong fundament and a recognizable element in the village. Most of them are in good condition marking the place where the house should stand and not to change the urban plan in the village.

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The new Palace of the Prince After visiting Roșia Montană, the value of this village and surroundings became clear! The village’s rich mining history, the historical architecture, the diverse landscape and the hospitality of the community can offer possibilities to develop tourism. Though a lot of facilities became obsolete or vanished when the locals left . There is a need for new facilities. Therefore I suggest an assemblage of interventions that will house a hotel, a restaurant and a spa. Where else could these facilities better be placed than the main square of Roșia Montană. The same square where the Palace of the Prince used to be. This building was the place where travellers were welcomed by the locals. The new facilities can be located on the plots of three beautiful empty buildings at the square. To stimulate the interaction between the travellers and the locals, these new public functions should be hosted by the locals. In order to make the buildings functional for the new functions I designed three different extensions. The first extension is an ensemble of buildings on the biggest plot and will be used to house the hotel. The gate is the entrance to the collective space, where locals and the tourists meet. The gate leads to a covered outside space in front of the dining room, on the other side there’s a courtyard with a stairs which can be used as a bench with a view on the green space. The entrances of the hotel rooms are up the stairs and on top of the rooms there’s a roof terrace with a view on the surroundings. The second extension is a narrow annex which is used as the house for the host of the spa. This small house with great view on the surroundings, creates a barr ier for privacy in the spa. The third extension is the addition of a wall. Normally the stairs at the side of the building are used for the private entrance of the house, but because this building will get a public function, it has more logic to make the stairs on the inside, so both floors can be used. To amplify the beauty of the plasterwork of the existing buildings, the new additions make a contrast, but stay close to the local building techniques, using the beautiful wood crafting. Making it a great experience visiting the new Palace of the Prince.

Jordy van der Veen architecture

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As an future architect I was fascinated by the beautiful wooden construction methods. The buildings suffert form negligent maintenance because of the exodus from the village. This showed the hidden construction layers, with duftail connections and nature stone masony.

The community of Roșia Montană is used to travellers and has developed a welcoming culture.

Roșia Montană has a long and rich mining history. In 1997 Gabriel Resources was founded, with the aim to mine multiple mountains around the village. The company bought up many houses and plots and a lot of money was invested to relocate the people in order to make space for mining activities. But then the village was considered cultural heritage and the mining was cancelled. Nowadays Roșia Montană is an empty village with a lot of neglected buildings. Some people will probably return to Roșia Montană . But their return probably won’t be enough to make it a lively and economical viable place to live.

After visiting Roșia Montană, the value of this unique village and its beautiful surroundings became clear. The village has an rich mining history, the historical architecture with beautiful craftsmanship and its diverse landscape can offer possibilities to develop tourism.

qualities Roșia Montană

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urban map

floor plan

23

facade courtyard

24

fragment

25

Resilient Ruralism restoring the community of Roșia Montană

Thanks to protests the mining in Roșia Montană will not continue. Roșia Montană Gold Corporation however did disrupt the entire village socially, spatially and economically. The Canadian mining company bought 80% of the houses, and a big part of the inhabitants of Roșia Montană left the village. With this exodus the community disappeared. The remaining three hundred people are mainly self sustaining farmers. Today the village continues to exist, but 70% of the remaining farmers are fifty-five years old or older. The farmers produce goods for themselves.

It makes them free from the community and its economy. This is a short term solution. Ageing is a big threat for the future of Roșia Montană and in this way, the village won’t exist in thirty years anymore, because most the farmers either died or moved away.

There is however, a chance to rebuild Roșia Montană in a sustainable and resilient way. To approach this complicated idea there’s more needed than a spatial solution. The village is in need of a framework that can stimulate and guide the economic growth by combining actors and spatial possibilities. The goal of this framework is to restore the community of Roșia Montană and make it more resilient. The framework stimulates the self sustaining farmers to specialize. This means the farmers have to exchange goods and therefore collaborate, which means growth.

Restoring the community starts with adding people. By using the branding of FanFest and by placing summer houses on the vacant farmlands, the urban tissue can be restored and new interesting target groups, like FanFest visitors and retired seniors, are attracted to the village. The second step is to facilitate the trade of local goods by placing a market hall in the heart of Roșia Montană. This market hall can function as an economic as well as a social heart of Roșia Montană. The last step is to adjust the rules of the zoning plan to the scale of the development. In this way local, small scale entrepreneurs have more freedom and will be stimulated to start their own businesses. Slow but steady, a manufacturing, depending on local resources, will grow. By not being solely depending on mining, Roșia Montană will have a more resilient economy and community.

Koen Vermeulen urbanism

26

EUGEN DAVID ''Now I'm a farmer. I'd like to demonstrate that here, in these beautiful mountains, there are other ways to make a living besides mining. I want to live off this farm. Can you imagine, the only doctor in town is paid by RMGC to leave.''

JEFLEA NICULINA Handcrafts wool socks, hats and sweaters for the company ''Made in Roşia Montană'' for Tica Darie

EUGEN CORNEA ''This place could attract hundred of tourists. (Roman galleries)''

STEPHANIE ROTH REMUS CELUSA

''If the project goes ahead, 700 consistent farmers will lose their lands and have to be resettled.''

''It's as quiet as a monastery here in the middle of the valley. It's so beautiful here. I'm not going. I've worked here so long I can't quit now.''

EUGEN CORNEA

COSMIN MORARIU ''They have no other option. With this development plan there's nothing to do apart from mining. You can't get planning permission for a shop or hotel. Or to make an exhibit out of the historic Roman mine shafts. I'd like a camping at the Pine Lake but the local counsel won't consent to it.''

''Goldrush experience, ta kes tourists into the mines and shows the old mining techniques''

CRAFTSMAN

INDUSTRY

wood working, alchohol and wool socks

farming, mining and forestry

FANFEST

RUXANDRA MANTA

''FânFest is the biggest multi-art activist festival in Romania which started with a communities struggle to protect their land and inspired a generation.''

''We could have left if we wanted to, but we didn't because we love this place. No other house, however new can replace the house I was born in and in which I want to die.''

La Gruber - Hostel Owner: Wilhelm Gruber 10 euro / night

INHABITANTS

TOURISM

SZEKELY JOZSEFNE ''I left Rosia Montana a year ago. I've found a good place to live, I'm very satisfied. You won't hear any complaints about Gold Corporation from me. They paid me what was due to me.''

seniors, youth and families

FanFest, students, activists and researchers

PRIEST

STEFAN BALICI

''We assure you that we won't sell the churches. We'll be the last to abandon ship.''

ARA Architecture, restoration and archeology

ORGANIZATIONS

JOHN ASTON

CULTURE

RMGC, churches, municipality and Alburnus Maior

''We plan to preserve the historic part of Rosia Montana. We plan to relocate and provide resettlement options for all people living in this area that will be impacted by the mine that’s underneath the adjacent valley. People find it very, very hard to believe. This is true. This project will end up putting money into the local area that will help.''

museums, education and cultural heritage

OLD WOMAN ''We pray in the church. We pray to Jesus and the Virgin Mary. We won't sell it.

We won't sell it. We'd rather die here.''

ENTREPRENEURS supermarkt, hostel / hotels and local businesses

STEFAN BALICI - EUROPA NOSTRA

La Gruber - Hostel Owner: Wilhelm Gruber 10 euro / night

ATIILA KORODI - MINISTERY OF ENVIRONMENT

WILHELM GRUBER - unemployed miner

''We can't say it's (RMGC mining) in public interest.''

'' They should mine in an environmental friendly way. Gold is the only source of income here. You can't live off rosehips, elderberries and sunflower seeds. That's not possible. There's no tourism. Who the hell would come here?''

Tica Darie Tica Darie set up an unique business in Rosia Montana, he is online sellingwool products, handcrafted by a few women in the area.

Overview of the actors; The community left, only the self sustaining farmers and organisations are remaining.

27

Manufacturing economy; diversify the economy of RoČ™ia Montană 1.

Ageing + self sustaining farmers = untenable 2.

Specialisation 3.

Manufacturing economy 28

Economy

2001 R.M.G.C.

2026 Framework 2004 FanFest started

2017 Summer housing

2021 Market hall

Time year 1

year 5

year 10

Resilient community; grow smart, not fast

29

ns

rde ga r al e un rm mm 2 / fa co 13 31 m 2.1

s use ho ily m ily fam / fa 13 9 m2 31

r

e ers rm rm / fa 5 fa 6 m2 91

ns rde ga er al un farm mm 2 / 6 co 17 m 3.8

s use ho mily mily / fa 4 fa 3 m2 43

er

rm ers fa rm 2 / 1 fa 94 m 1.2

19.381 m2 23,5% 4.580 m2

23,5% 4.146 m2

6.843 m2

55% 10.655 m2

20% 1.294 m2

1.

25% 1.732 m2

55% 3.817 m2

2. < 70m2 tiny house movement 100m2 enough for one person 10m < distance to edge of the plot

s

n rde ga er al un farm mm 2 / 6 co 17 m 3.8

s use ho mily mily / fa 4 fa 3 m2 43

er

rm ers fa rm 2 / 1 fa 94 m 1.2

6.843 m2 20% 1.294 m2

25% 1.732 m2

18,5% 1.277 m2

36,5% 2.540 m2

3.

Restore the community; repair the urban tissue 1. BEFORE RMGC; communities on a smaller scale 2. NOW; urban tissue is destroyed and the community disappeared 3. FUTURE; restore urban tissue and start restoring the community 30

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Facilitate market; redesign the village square The market hall grows with the village 31

32

Filling the village; a framework for a vibrant community

33

In Situ - In Terra The history of Rosia Montana is build on and around gold. Gold has been a condition for the landscape, the culture, the people, the stories and the rituals of the village. Now the gold corporation has plans to get all Rosia Montana’s remaining gold out of the mountains, a situation emerges in which the archeological heritage will disappear. The underground mine in Rosia Montana is really special. It is unique because it is the only place where you will find different historical layers together. They tell stories of different times. In mining, several methods where used to create galleries which lead to gold. These are expressed in the shape of the galleries. Another unique element is the intensity of the network. It is pefectly ridged. However, it is under-ground and therefore invisible. This network is a ‘big underground city’, with a total length of 150 km and a maximum 300 meters depth.

The invisibility of this ‘big underground city’ calls for an intervention. It should tell the story of this special place. It calls upon your imagination. An underground world with an unimaginable scale should be made accessible to the public.

Since the underground world cannot be made completely visible, I chose to show with this project first of all a section, second, the contour of the entire underground city, and third, the different shape of the gallerys. The section shows the scale and of the functioning of the galleries. The section consists of a path accompagnied by pillars, which show you how deep the underground galleries are. They also tell you something about the direction of the galleries and the perfection of the rigidity of the grid. The pillars are between 18 and 6 meter high and they are engraved with the specific depth of the gallery. The path also cuts through an open pit mine, showing both different particularly shaped galleries and scale. And lastly, the pillars that envision the contour give shape to the city wall of this immense underground city. The pillars are made of steel and are covered in messing to get a golden feeling.

Spreading knowledge can lead to more interest in heritage, interest to support to value heritage and support to preserve and financially resource heritage. And so the archaeology can become part of the future, not just part of the history of Rosia Montana. The heritage can function as a weapon in the battle against the mining ambitions of the gold corporation and as a catalyst for an economically healthy and therefore a sustainable habitat.

Ziega van den Berk landscape architecture

34

Masterplan

35

Section design

36

Design Pillar

37

Impression of the landscape of Rosia Montana

38

Goal for Rosia Montana

39

Floor van Wulfften Palthe The Heritage Trail Because almost all of the inhabitants have moved away, Rosia Montana is now an empty village. The parcels owned bij RMGC are unused pieces of land, with buildings on them in a very bad state. Also the open excavations lie as wounds in the landscape. The village of Rosia Montana has a rich heritage, which is somewhat neglected nowadays.

This heritage exists of physical relicts (e.g. the mine excavations, Roman galleries, churches, characteristic pumping stations) and intangible heritage, like traditions, old love stories, recipes and legends. By marking all the different places which have a history, and connect them by route trough the landscape scenery, the lost stories of Rosia Montana can be told and kept alive. Also the stagnated landscape alongside the route can get a new boost of touristic economy and by producing local products.

Floor van Wulfften Palthe landscape architecture

40

Because almost all of the inhabitants have moved away, Rosia Montana is now an empty village. The parcels owned bij RMGC are unused pieces of land, with buildings on them in a very bad state. Also the open excavations lie as wounds in the landscape.

41

The village of Rosia Montana has a rich heritage, which is somewhat neglected nowadays. This heritage exists of physical relicts (e.g. the mine excavations, Roman galleries, churches, characteristic pumping stations) and intangible heritage, like traditions, old love stories, recipes and legends.

42

By marking all the different places which have a history, and connect them by route trough the landscape scenery, the lost stories of Rosia Montana can be told and kept alive. Also the stagnated landscape alongside the route can get a new boost of touristic economy and by producing local products.

43

The Ghost Dam

Reconstructing the impact of mining on the landscape of Roșia Montană The Ghost Dam is a design proposal that aims to communicate the spatial impact of mining on the landscape on site to a global audience. The volume of a mining dam is reconstructed in situ in order to add a spatial argument to the discussion about future mining projects.

During the last 15 years the Roșia Montană gold mining project became very polemic. The major themes of these controversies are environmental issues related to mining, the use of cyanide in the gold extraction process, the economic benefits of the mining for Romania and the preservation of the mining heritage in Roșia Montană. In 2013 the project received global attention as it became a symbol in mass protests against corruption within the Romanian government. The protests where provoked because of a draft law that was proposed by the Romanian government.

This law would have given the mining company the right to force the remaining residents of Roșia Montană to sell their houses and lands.

I believe that the site and this recent history offer a great opportunity to give insight in the effects of large-scale mining for a big audience. By making the mining project of Roșia Montană visual and spatial through an iconic intervention, a spatial reference is created that can be used in discussions about the value or risks of other planned gold mining sites in the east of Europe and elsewhere in the world.

Intervention The design proposal is to construct the dam that would contain the cyanide lake in the mining plan, as a temporary (lightweight) structure. The structure is a steel skeleton that is 1000 metres long, 1200 meters wide and 200 meters high. Steel netting is used to suggest the volume of the dam. This is done in such a way that on approaching the structure over land it will appear to be an impermeable obstruction. Inside of the structure the net allows sunlight to pass unhindered for the benefit of the underlying landscape. Choosing to design specifically the dam is not a random decision: the dam is a strong symbolic expression of the mining operations. It is the barrier between a densely populated valley and 215 million cubic meters of toxic waste. Also, many well-known disasters that happened in mining are related to dam facilities and spilling of toxic waste (Baia Mare spill in Romania, or more recently the village Bento in Brazil).

The impact of the mine is already present in Roșia Montană. The present village is filled with spatial and social traces of the polemic history. Without the mining project there would be no fan fest, no buy-outs, no NGOs related to the mining, no heritage assessment, no village in arrested development, no asphalt, and no Roșia Montană on the world map. My proposal will make the future mining visible for villagers, but also for a wide international audience in order to enable a more profound and precise discussion about large-scale mining.

Maurijn Rouwet architecture

44

Intuitive model that led to the definition of the project, triggered by the confrontation of scale and proximity between a village and the tailings dam.

45

Camarzana N, Romaltyn Exploration

Baia Mare, Romaltyn Mining

Camarzana N, Romaltyn Exploration

Baia Mare, Romaltyn Mining BaiSoara, Rem Aur Slr Baita Bihor, Baita SA Rosia Montana, Rosia montana gold corporation

Dealul Bratosin, Valhalla Resources LTD Brat, European Goldfields Deva SLR Baita Cradunesti, Eldorado gold

Bucium, Rosia Montana gold corporation Rovina, Samax Romania SLR Bolcana, Deva gold SA Certej, Deva gold Deva Muncel, European goldfields deva SLR

>10 MOZ AU

BaiSoara, Rem Aur Slr

Arrested village

5-10 MOZ AU Dealul Bratosin, Valhalla Resources LTD

Gold reserves of Eastern Europe

1 MOZ AU

Brat, European Goldfields Deva SLR

Current gold mining projects romania the outcome in Rosia Montana also reflects on other of the mining operations

southeast Europe

Romania

Current gold mining projects romania

Nord Tincova, Formin SA Baita Bihor, Baita SA

Baita Cradunesti, Eldorado gold

Rosia Montana, Rosia montana gold corporation Bucium, Rosia Montana gold corporation Rovina, Samax Romania SLR Bolcana, Deva gold SA Certej, Deva gold

Current gold mining projects Romania Deva Muncel, European goldfields deva SLR

Romania has the largest gold deposits in eastern Europa. This creates constant pressure from parties that want to mine these resources >10 MOZ AU

Arrested village

Nord Tincova, Formin SA

Current gold mining projects romania

5-10 MOZ AU

Gold reserves of Eastern Europe

1 MOZ AU

Current gold mining projects romania the outcome in Rosia Montana also reflects on other of the mining operations

southeast Europe

1

1

Romania

2 Source 1,2: Rosia Montana project - 3D modeling for progressive development and ecological rehabilitation. Athors: D. Mihai, R. Mudura, M. Breazu Commissioned by the Rosia Montana Gold Corporation, 2008

2

Source 1,2: Rosia Montana project - 3D modeling for progressive Source 1,2: Rosiaand Montana projectrehabilitation.

- 3D modeling for progressive development and development ecological Athors: D. Mihai, R. Mudura, M. Breazu Commissioned byD.the Rosia Montana Corporation, 2008 ecological rehabilitation.

Athors: Mihai, R. Mudura, M.Gold Breazu Commissioned by

the Rosia Montana Gold Corporation, 2008

3

Current gold mining projects Romania

4

Source 3,4: Modelling and 3D visualization of landscape changes in the Rosia Montana basin. Authors: G. Barton, K. Bódis, R. Céczi. Publication for the 45th Congress of the European Regional Science Association, 3 2005

4

Source 3,4: Modelling and 3D visualization of landscape changes in the Source 3,4: Modelling andAuthors: 3D visualization of landscape changes in thePublication Rosia Rosia Montana basin.

G. Barton, K. Bódis, R. Céczi. for the 45th Congress European Association, Montana basin.

Authors: of G. the Barton, K. Bódis,Regional R. Céczi. Science Publication for the 45th 2005 Congress of the European Regional Science Association, 2005

Examples of typical visual communication of the impact of the mining plan by other parties, both pro and against mining.

46

international

ISDS Trade Agreement

mining

no mining local

Status quo: Status quo map of the RoČ&#x2122;ia MontanÄ&#x192; mining project, (initial mapping, to be further elaborated)

47

4. 4.

3. 3.

1200 meters 1200 meters above above sea sea levellevel

Rosia Montana Rosia Montana

5. 5.

1. 1.

processing plant OreOre processing plant

4. 4.

3. 3.

2. 2.

1200 meters 1200 meters above above sea sea levellevel

Rosia Montana Rosia Montana

5. 5.

m 0m 00 40 24

2

1. 1.

plant gsing plant

2. 2.

6. 6.

Village Village

4 24 2

6. 6.

m 0m 30

m 00 0m

12

mDam

1.

Cetate pit

2.

Cirnic pit

3.

Orlea pit

m 00 12 m 00 12

meters 400400 meters above above sea sea m m 0 00 0 levellevel

m 0m 00 30 3 m 0m 00 60 6

1.

Cetate pit

2.

Cirnic pit

3.

Orlea pit

4.

Jig pit

5.

Sulei andesite Q

6.

Tailings deposit: 250 million tons tailings slurry, cr ore, heavy metal

Buildings planne Buildings

Tailings Tailings DamDam

4.

Jig pit

5.

Sulei andesite Quarry

6.

Tailings deposit: 250 million tons of tailings slurry, crushed ore, heavy metals

Tailings dam

Cyanide waste la

1. Cetate pit

Buildingsplanned planned for for destruction destruction Buildings

2. Cirnic pit

Buildings Buildings

3. Orlea pit

Tailings dam Tailings dam

4. Jig pit

Cyanide wastelake lake Cyanide waste

5. Sulei andesite Quarry

River River

6. Tailings deposit: 250 million tons of tailings

Ore processing Ore processingplant plant

slurry, crushed ore, heavy metals

Map of the mining plan showing the pits, the cyanide lake and the dam in close proximity to remaining villages.

48

River Ore processing

transport pipe year 15 drain pipe

year 1

upstream method

transport pipe year 15 drain pipe

year 1

schematic section of centerline tailings dam

transport pipe year 15 drain pipe year 1

downstream method

Analysis tailings dam: Inventory of tailings dam construction methods, in RoČ&#x2122;ia MontanÄ&#x192; the Centerline method is used.

49

current situation

section of the dam as proposed in the mining plan

proposed intervention

Concept schemes of intervention, the reconstruction is closely following the volume of the proposed tailings dam as proposed in the mining plan

50

Section showing the confrontation of scale between the reconstruction of the dam and the existing village.

51

The as in the 1.1. plotplot as situated in the valley, 1000 x 1.The The plot as situated situated inmeasuring the valley, valley,

2.

Concrete foundations are 2. Concrete foundations are installed.

2.

Concrete foundations are installed. installed.

3.

The columns are 3. The columns are placed.

3.

The columns are placed. placed.

4.

The substructure to support the 4. substructure to support net is installed.

4.The The substructure tothe support the

5.

The main tensile cabels are 5. The main tensile cables are placed, because 5.

The main tensile cabels are the placed, because the structure tied placed, because the structure is tied structure is tied down in two directions the is column down in two directions the column down in two directions the column size can be reduced to a minimum. size size can can be be reduced reduced to to a a minimum. minimum.

6.

The netting is over 6. The netting is installed over the loadbearing 6.

The netting is installed installed over the the loadbearing structure. loadbearing structure. structure.

measuring measuring 1000 xx 1200 1200 meters. meters.

1200 meters. 1000

net net is is installed. installed.

Axonometric explanation of construction process.

52

Image of model

53

Visualization of the dam, the steel netting appears to be an impermeable obstruction when the structure is approached through the valley.

54

55

Roșia Montană watersystem reclaimed Redevelopment of the original Roșia Montană water system

Over millions and millions of years tectonic power, rivers and chemical processes created a landscape which literally has value: minerals, metals and sources of energy. Men came in the landscape ‘just yesterday’. Despite the relative short period of their interference, their influence on our landscapes are is big. In Rosia Montană men left traces on the landscape by mining it, like pits and galeries. Also a mysterious water system is visible, a result of the cooperation between men and landscape.

This water system, existing of ponds, canals, natural creeks and dams, used to provide energy to stamping mills that were used in the mining process to separate gold from worthless rocks. The water system was developed in the 19th and early 20th century. It grew into a huge network, partly still visible in the landscape, the urban fabric and in the culture of the villagers. The system existed of several production units in which individuals cooperated in managing the water and the processing of gold. The mills, the landscape and the communal atmosphere rapidly disappeared after the industrial revolution and communism.

The people of Rosia Montană should RECLAIM their water system by implementing new functions. Agriculture can take place on the gentile sunny slope and forestry on the steeper southern edge. These sectors are already present in the area but should be more professionalized. Big scale operations as well as individual bottom up interventions can be implemented (in)directly to the water system. They will influence not only the landscape in a profitable way, but also in a socio-economic perspective. The water system will regain its ‘social’ function. People have to cooperate in developing their communal water system, the formal village’s identity will be reclaimed. Thereby Rosia Montană can develop its future in a sustainable way.

Stein van Brunschot landscape architecture

56

Model of the project area (20x11cm)

57

Watersystem fraqtiles

58

Mountain creating powers, Donau basin and tectonic plates 59

Historical map of the village, stamping mills and the urban fabric follows the structure of the watersystem.

60

Watersystem relicts

61

Impression of the redevelopment.

62

63

restored creek

profesional equipment vineyard

new pont

common orchard

willow meadow

big scale plots

spatial relation village and water

Axometrical plan, new types of agriculture and forestry attached to the formal watersystem 64

bridge

transport

polyculture forestry formal mine building â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wood centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; preservation of the logs

65

restored mill new creek bridge

restored creek